One of Your Most Requested Features is Here! Introducing Female Health Tracking

By Danielle Kosecki

Ladies, it’s time to talk. According to a recent Fitbit survey*, 80 percent of you (80!) don’t know how many phases are in menstrual cycle and more than 70 percent of you (70!) are unable to correctly identify the average length of a cycle.

Honestly, those stats are shocking but not all that surprising. After all, many women’s sexual health education stops after grade school, if they get one at all. That’s why Fitbit is excited to announce the launch of one of the company’s most requested features: female health tracking.

This new in-app experience (available to all Fitbit users age 13 and older**) and on-device experience (for Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa smartwatch users) is designed to help you learn more about your menstrual cycle—and your body—so you can better understand how it affects other aspects of your health and fitness. And that’s just the beginning.

Below, what you can expect at launch—and beyond.

The Female Health Tracking Experience

In-app period tracking: Never get caught by surprise again. Log your period, record symptoms, and opt into receiving push notifications two days before and on the day of your predicted period start date. This allows you to have the opportunity to compare all your stats in one place.

Smartwatch integration: Track where you are in your cycle, view when your period is expected and see your upcoming estimated fertile window in the new Fitbit Today personalized health dashboard on Versa or Ionic.

News you can use: Learn about the menstrual cycle, ovulation, fertility, and more with judgement-free content developed with Fitbit advisors Katharine White, MD, MPH, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University, and Larry Tiglao, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Stanford Healthcare’s Los Olivos Women’s Medical Group in Los Gatos, CA.

Community support:Join new Fitbit Community Groups focused on periods, birth control, trying to conceive, pregnancy, and perimenopause and menopause to ask questions, swap tips, or share advice.

4 Awesome Benefits of Female Health Tracking

Better body knowledge: See how your cycle and symptoms change month to month and uncover the impact your menstrual cycle has on your overall health. By having all of your health and fitness information in one place and looking at your data over time, you can better understand connections between your activity, sleep, and cycle symptoms.

More productive doctor visits:Simple tracking of your symptoms and menstrual cycle data in the Fitbit app allows you to be more informed for discussions with your doctor about the specific timing and details of your symptoms, giving your doctor a clearer picture of your menstrual cycle for more personalized care. Female health tracking will also chart your cycle trends over time which can help your doctor determine what is normal for you symptom-wise, versus what may warrant additional attention.

Personalized insights: The more consistently you log, the smarter the female-health-tracking algorithm gets. In the future, as the database of female-health metrics grows, this data may help enable Fitbit to deliver even more insights, such as how your cycle impacts your activity, sleep, weight and nutrition, and potentially how these things can affect your cycle.

Much-needed innovation: Female health is not an area that has garnered as much broad, population-level study as other areas in healthcare. By potentially creating one of the largest databases of anonymized female health metrics in the world, Fitbit has the opportunity to help drive positive health outcomes and could give Fitbit, healthcare, and research professionals an unprecedented ability to study menstrual cycles and women’s health with real-world data in the future.

Opt In!

All Fitbit users** who have identified themselves as female in their Fitbit profile will receive a notification that female health tracking is available. You can choose to opt-in and complete onboarding, or simply opt out.

Don’t identify as female but still want to use this feature? Tap “Edit” at the bottom of your Fitbit mobile dashboard (or press and hold a dashboard tile until they all start to wiggle) and then add the female health tracking tile.

*Fitbit Primary Research Study, February 2018

**Female health tracking is available to adults 13 and over in the U.S.; ages may vary by country.

This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

Danielle Kosecki

Senior health and fitness editor Danielle Kosecki is an award-winning journalist who has covered health and fitness for more than 10 years. She’s written for Glamour, More, Prevention, and Bicycling magazines, among others, and is the editor of The Bicycling Big Book of Training. A New York native, Danielle now lives in the Bay Area where she doesn’t miss winter at all.

I think that it will be available as a tile on the app/dashboard for all female users 13 years old and up. From what I understand, push notifications will only be available for the new watches, but you can still track everything from the app.

Why is this only available to those 13 and older? Girls are now getting their periods at 10. Isn’t it important for them to have a healthy understanding of their cycle as well? Putting this age limit on the information only furthers the stigmatization of menstruation.

Brilliant, I have been looking for an app to use in conjunction with my fitbit – at 45 years old I reckon that I really need to finally get a grip on understanding my cycle and the way my emotions and body fluctuate with it. I know that this will greatly help me in the personal growth and self understanding I am already gaining through my ongoing Yoga practice and self development.
Thank you!

I’m so excited about this! I think I left a suggestion to do this about a year ago and I’m so happy it’s happening! I hope this version will give tips like “during this part of your cycle, steer clear of these foods” or “eat these kinds of foods to avoid bloating, aid weight loss, or get essential vitamins you’re likely lacking,” or “during this time of your cycle, try to do this kind of exercise/activity.” It would even be nice if it would give little motivational messages when you’re on your period!

There are already apps which do that sort of thing. I think Flo does, and it can sync with Fitbit too, although it’s buggy. I didn’t want the motivational messages, and I didn’t like the way the data was displayed, so I moved to Clue instead, but there are several apps out there.

I’m excited about this feature! I’ve been tracking my cycle in a different app (P Tracker Lite) for a few years now. Will I be able to import my data from another app, or at least enter my last few months’ cycles manually in the Fitbit app?

This is fantastic news. Mine seem to be all over the place and it would be great to have one place to track everything and see how it impacts fitness and sleep. I know that the couple of days prior to normal period, i feel pretty lame at the gym.

Why can’t this be an update to all Fitbit apps? Like I understand not being to update old Fitbit watches, but you can still add these features to the app (like charge 2 – it even almost like like the same ui as what is shown!)

I don’t work for FitBit, but please remember that some of their devices do not have the same technology – likely to keep initial costs down. Before shaming, please consider limitations that the actual device you own has – everyone has a price point. I would not be mad at an auto maker for including a bell or whistle in a model I can’t afford. Not preaching, just please be thoughtful.

It sounds great but what about the pregnancy period as well I know I am not alone when it comes to weight and calories are confusing when you pregnant and nursing. To further enhance this feature will you be adding settings for those that pregnant and nursing now we can track fertility it would be great to keep track of the additional things that follow for those that chose to expand there family and stay healthy.

But not all women use period tracking for pregnancy/contraception purposes (a fact more and more of these apps are starting to recognize). This is the first time we will be able to track this information in the same program as the one tracking weight, sleep and food intake, things that are definitely affected by our cycles. at the opportunity for analyzing anononomized data is huge because it will now be grouped with so many other variables.

Plus, some of us women just like having a reminder that we need to stack up on supplies.

Why is this not available on all Fitbit devices. I don’t need to see my period on a watch. News flash kinda know when it’s here, the joys, but I like tracking it. I have been using eve/glow for years and got excited to find I could finally track this in Fitbit. Disipointed that this only on 2 devices and not cross platform.

I was not asked if I was female when installing and then I tried to add the app through the edit and it did not pop up either to add. I used to have the charge 2 but just synced the versa today and unsynced the charge 2. Would really like help in getting this on my versa.

Everybody in here asking or wondering why it wont be available for old watches.. The article states that the app will update for everyone.. “This new in-app experience (available to all Fitbit users age 13 and older**) and on-device experience (for Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa smartwatch users)” please read the article before getting upset. you can use it too!

Why is this limited to the US? Your app is used globally so all features should be available globally. We all paid for a device, we all deserve the same features.
Also, I wonder if a reminder to take contraceptive pills could be integrated into the app. It would be more convenient than having a separate app for that. I’d also like to see information on how being on the pill affects your hormones.

And big *le Sigh* to everyone who cannot read or understand what they just read:
– this feature will be available to ALL USERS IN THE APP
– this feature will be available IN MAY (not in March, not in April, but May)

It seems no one is reading the article, it is available to all fitbit users in the app, just not on your fitbit unless you have the smart watch versions. It also says May 2018 as when it will be available.

Great start. Next double down on fertility using the stats you already collect (aka heart rate). Would also like to see the pregnancy setting brought back and allow for weight gain goals with suggested calories each day. There’s a TON of info out there on suggested healthy nutrition and activities for pregnant ladies, why not let us track effectively against it to stay healthy.

I have a blaze, woke up one morning last week and saw the new button in the app. Filled in all the information. When I went to school to tell my Fitbit friends it was gone! Frustrated that I wasted time filling in everything and now can’t use it. Why isn’t this available in the app for all women?

I’m curious as to when this feature will be available. The blog post says May 2018, but I haven’t seen it in my dashboard yet.
Also, I have the Versa and wonder if it will be able to track without my inputting symptoms. The birth control I’m on diminishes most symptoms, and the most obvious symptom is not present at all.

It’s not helpful at all if you are experiencing peri menopausal symptoms. I have had cycles last longer than 10 days and this feature only allows you to log a max of a 10 day cycle. Lame. I will stick with the Life app and hide this feature on my Fitbit until they improve it to sync with Life.

This does not seem to be available on Android yet…….I can get it on my iPad but neither my wife or me can get it on our Samsung phones. Obviously I don’t need it, we were just trying to see the difference in the apps. Is it being released soon?

Many girls start their periods before 13 and could benefit from this feature. Why is it age restricted to over 13?

Also, I’d like to see this feature expanded to include a reminder of when to insert my NuvaRing and also at least add some sort of mood indication. I have PMDD and tracking major depressive symptoms as they relate to my period is definitely a high priority for me. Pretty disappointed that I can’t add a mood indication in the symptoms notes.

I agree. I thought the symptom options were pretty small. Fatigue and moods are not on there. I would say they’re trying to be tactful but if people are willing to enter this most sensitive of information, I think they’d want the option to enter all the dirty details.

I just added this to my iPhone app today (I don’t have a smart watch) and it seems to work great. I was using a different app to track, but I like having health info together, so I added the last year of data to FitBit. Only thing is, my 13 yo daughter is not seeing this tool in her FitBit app. Wondering if maybe she’ll get it later in the month as the rollout continues?

I have identify that I’m female however I have not receive a notification for the female health tracking is available. Could some please help as to how I can get this app. I got my fitbit yesterday and I have no idea about technology.
Thanks

Would you be able to add a feature to log when you take the pill? Similar to the SpotOn app (by Planned Parenthood). There have a been a couple times I have missed my pill for days straight and spot on accounted for that and let me know that my cycle had changed because of it and when my “fertile window” would now be. A reminder to take the pill would also be nice.

I bought my fitbit tracker in US and now back to my home country. I still don’t see the app :/ I’m female, over 13 etc etc..
Can someone clarify if the feature is available outside USA and for Android app?

I love the idea, BUT it’s missing some major symptoms: What about BLOATING and IRRITABILITY??? Aren’t these some of the top symptoms? Or other issues? I, for example, don’t sleep well the week before my period and I have issues with my ears, but never headaches. There is a slew of strange things women experience and it would be great to be able to easily log them.

I love the idea, BUT it’s missing some major symptoms: What about BLOATING and IRRITABILITY??? Aren’t these some of the top symptoms? Or other issues? I, for example, don’t sleep well the week before my period and I have issues with my ears, but never headaches. There is a slew of strange things women experience and it would be great to be able to easily log them.

I am trying to remove it but it will not let me. I click edit and remove but when i am dine it is back again. I do not want or need it. I dont have periods and when i did have them they never followed any schedule. I just want to know how to remove it

Would it be possible to add emotional to one of the conditions? About 2 weeks before my actual period I can start crying whenever the smallest thing goes wrong. I’d love to track that too, ‘cause sometimes I forget I’m causing drama because of my hormones..

I think this is great but I’m not really understanding the “sick” option w/ the little emoji w/ the thermometer? I have had my period for 26 years and don’t think “sick,” i.e. running a fever, would ever really come to mind as a frequent symptom of PMS. Personally I was really hoping for an option to track moods/emotions leading up to and during my period. Mood swings, depression, anxiety are all very real symptoms of PMS that many, many, MANY women suffer from, some more severely than others. Personally I’d rather be able to track my mood as it relates to my period than “fluids”…

I know, right? Is “sick” nausea? And I was completely baffled for a moment about “egg WHITE” fluids during my periods. Took a while to figure out (or assume) that they are referring to consistency… Though sticky isn’t a consistency I recognize so maybe that isn’t what that means either?

It’s great that this has now been integrated as this is exactly the type of thing I used while trying to conceive and it would be fab to have everything in one place, however now I’m pregnant it won’t really apply for the duration of my pregnancy. Can a pregnancy mode not be added? At the end of the day pregnancy plays a big part in women’s health.

I think this a great idea so don’t have to use multiply apps. Although compared to other period tracking apps, I think the only thing missing is tracking of if you’ve taken contraceptive pill. And a reminder would be helpful personally.

That is awesome and needed badly as I begin the first stages of perimenopause, I look forward to being able to have a tool to help track a no longer regular monthly system.
Please advise when it will be available for my brand new Versea???

i’m pretty excited to us this feature as I have been manually tracking my cycles for a few years now. I started to input some of this previous data and came across a problem where it won’t allow me to log a period longer than 10days. and it also seems it doesn’t want to allow logging periods “too” close together.
I understand this isn’t a ‘normal’ period length but that’s just the point: I’d like to be able to log all my data including instances when my cycle went haywire, these times are when it’s especially important to have long-term data.

Will the calendar be expanded so we can see our predicted period days past 3 months? I love looking ahead when booking vacations and such. Right now I would have to keep a separate app. Female health tracking was one reason I went with the Fitbit